Looking for gold late in a fantasy football draft? These running backs may not get your team points in the early going, but they should offer some help toward the end of the season. Stash them away and be patient while they endure early growing pains.
Cameron Artis-Payne
Carolina running back Cameron Artis-Payne doesn’t have a ton of hype entering the season. He didn’t rush for more than 1,000 yards until his final season in a run-heavy Auburn offense.
However, sometimes it’s not about when you’re drafted. It’s about who drafted you. For Artis-Payne, he was drafted into a situation where he is in line for some touches during the year and could eventually step in if injury problems plague starting running back Jonathan Stewart. His upside is better than other backups on the roster, and Stewart is no stranger to injury.
He’s only gone over 200 carries once in his career, and in two of the three last three seasons, he’s dealt with nagging injuries. Artis-Payne won’t generate too many carries in the early going, but he could see signification action later in the season.
David Johnson
Here’s another rookie who was drafted into a great spot. Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson comes from a small school, but he’s already getting plenty of buzz around fantasy circles.
Johnson is a bigger back who can also catch balls out of the backfield. Currently, his average draft position is 162, so he’s a player who can be found late in fantasy football drafts that could make an immediate impact. Arizona starter Andre Ellington battled through injuries last season, and with Johnson being the bigger back with the ability to catch, he could see third down and red zone work early in the season.
And if Ellington goes down with injury again, it’s likely David Johnson, not Chris Johnson, who didn’t look anything like the former Chris Johnson during last year’s season, would step in to fill the void.
Branden Oliver
Do we know that Melvin Gordon will easily transition into the NFL? The San Diego Chargers used an early draft pick on the running back out of Wisconsin, but there’s no assurances.
Oliver is one of two other running backs (Danny Woodhead included) who will line up in the tailback spot for the Chargers. During his rookie campaign last season, Oliver turned in some quality performances, mixed with inconsistency.
Oliver had two games with more than 100 yards, and two games with more than 65 yards. He combined that with games where he ran the ball less than 15 times in nine different games in which he played. What he did show last year, though, was the ability to break open a few games with his rushing ability, and the strength to catch balls (he had 36 grabs last season.)
Right now, fantasy football owners could snag Oliver as the 69th rated running back. There’s no guarantee he could play, but Gordon’s fantasy value is skyrocketing without him even playing a game. Fantasy football owners should give a second look to the Chargers.
